


It's All In The Name

by themadhatter_666



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kelly Is So In Love With Matt, M/M, Matt Is So In Love With Kelly, soft boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 02:07:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16822990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadhatter_666/pseuds/themadhatter_666
Summary: Kelly can tell exactly how Matt is feeling based on the name he calls Kelly.





	It's All In The Name

Kelly had many names. Well, not really everyone called him Severide. However, Matt had many names for him. Matthew Casey was the last person that Kelly thought would end up being the love of his life. They had known each other for so long that when those romantic feelings crept in, it wasn’t as scary as it should have been. They knew each other. They _got_ each other. Sure, it was a long ride getting together, they weren’t the best at communicating, but they eventually got there. Their relationship was easy. It was nice, there was never any pressure. The advantage of falling in love with your best friend.

Kelly knew Matt like the back of his hand and Matt knew Kelly like the back of his hand. It was a perfect. How many people could say that they had fallen in love with their best friend? A person that they knew almost as well as they knew themselves? Not many people. Kelly was one of the lucky ones. Kelly hadn’t realised how lucky he actually was. He had never fallen for someone before who he had been strictly friends with first. He hadn’t realised that there were many benefits to falling in love with a friend. It made everything so much easier, he knew what Matt liked what he didn’t like. There were subtle ways to tell.

It helped though those subtle ways. He could read Matt’s mood depending on what Matt was calling him. Kelly hadn’t noticed it at first. It wasn’t until one day they were arguing in the kitchen, in the house that Kelly was practically living in, Kelly couldn’t even remember what they were arguing about, but Matt was yelling at him and he was yelling back. Kelly hadn’t realised it, not until they were in bed later that night, made up and spooning, that Kelly realised that Matt had called him Severide until they were made up. Since then Kelly kept watch. Noticing every time Matt called him something different.

 _Sev_. Whenever they were at work it was always Sev. It kept the professionalism between the two (some much needed professionalism), it also served as a reminder for Kelly that Matt and him, had something special. Something no one else was involved in. He sometimes needed that reminder. After everything that had happened in that firehouse. Everyone loved Matt and sometimes not everyone loved Kelly. He knew that and sometimes he forgets that Matt loves him now, it didn’t matter who Matt had loved before him. He needed it sometimes, needed to be reminded that what they had was just for them. Part of the reason how Kelly got the nickname was Matt reminding him.

At the start of their relationship boundaries were crossed. Unintentionally, but crossed frequently. Admittedly, Kelly was usually to blame for those boundaries being crossed. He couldn’t keep his hands off of Matt. Matt wasn’t any better most of the time either. After they had been officially warned by Boden, a very awkward conversation that none of them wanted to have, but they had scared Mills one too many times. They agreed that they would set boundaries at work and that’s when it changed from Kelly to Sev. He didn’t mind it at all, Matt was the only person who called him that and Kelly kind of liked that. A lot.

 _Kelly_. It’s always Kelly. Everything and anything always Kelly. From Matt’s tired voice as he tells Kelly it’s time to leave when they both late to work, to Matt snorting his name when Kelly’s made him laugh, to Matt trying to get his attention at home when there was something on TV that he wanted Kelly to see. Kelly’s name had never sounded sweeter coming from anyone else’s mouth. It didn’t matter that it was just his name, it still warmed him every time Matt even muttered his name. Kelly didn’t know what it was there was just something about hearing Matt say Kelly that gave him a warm fuzzy feeling all over.

He didn’t always get that warm fuzzy feeling when people said his name. It was usually only reserved for people who really cared him. Shay called him Kelly, it was good when Shay called him Kelly. Made him feel like he was wanted, cared for, he needed that. Boden called him Kelly sometimes, when Kelly really needed help, when he needed someone to lean on. Kelly needed to hear when he was being stupid or acting recklessly, Boden was good at keeping him in check, Kelly needed that too. It wasn’t until Matt had started calling him Kelly, that Kelly realised Matt gave him all of that as well as love too.

 _Severide_. Just hearing Severide coming from Matt’s mouth made him hurt. It was mad how the name literally everyone else called him was the one he hated most coming from Matt. He knew he was in trouble if Matt was calling him Severide. It wasn’t something Matt called him very often, but it was something that cut Kelly to the core. It was his entire life’s mission to make sure that Matt never called him that. Kelly remembers the days where Severide was the only thing Matt called him. It was strange how things changed, strange how it went from being the only name Matt called him to being the name Kelly detested most.

He only gets called Severide when Matt’s really angry. When they argue, and it feels like they’re never going to stop. When Kelly is afraid it’s the argument that will make Matt finally realise, he can do better, no matter how hard he tries to be the best person he can be. It’s the name that has the power to really scare Kelly when coming from Matt. He hates it. He never thought that names could hold so much power, but they did because Kelly knew Matt. He knew Matt so well, that’s why Kelly worried when he was called Severide because that meant Matt was just as scared as Kelly was. A dangerous combination considering that they both didn’t handle emotions well.

There was another name that Matt called him. A name only for the two of them. Only ever heard when it was just the two of them. It was always quiet and soft, a name that made everything feel right. It was the name heard the least often, but it was the name that meant the most. The name that made Kelly feel loved like nothing else and that was how Kelly knew everything was severely wrong.

Everything had been going wrong since they turned up at the fire. The fire had been out of control from the get - go, Boden wouldn’t have sent any of them in usually. There were witnesses telling them that there was someone trapped on the ground floor, close to the door. It made sense that they went in. The building seemed stable, the roof was in the process of being vented, the worst of the fire hadn’t reached the bottom yet. So, Boden sent them in. Kelly had a bad feeling the minute he stepped onto the scene, an even worse feeling when he walked into the building.

The feeling got worse as time went on. No one could find the guy that was supposed to be in there. They couldn’t even find anybody. Kelly could feel himself getting more and more anxious, something was seriously wrong, he just didn’t know what was wrong. Relief rushed over Kelly when he heard Boden ordering all of them to evacuate the building. That was good, he wanted to leave, he wanted Matt to leave, he wanted everyone to leave. Kelly had done this enough times to know to follow his gut, he hadn’t stayed alive this long by ignoring it.

Kelly took a sigh of relief once he was standing outside by Boden. He knew it was bad because Boden had that look on his face, that look that meant only bad things. It was enough to simultaneously make Kelly happy, his instincts had been right, but it made Kelly feel awful, it meant that everything was about to go wrong. Kelly did a quick head count, everyone was there apart from Matt. Kelly went from relief to pure terror in the space of two seconds. He turned to look at Boden who seemed to notice at the exact same time. That was when the roof caved in.

Kelly was moving before he even knew what he was doing. He needed to get to Matt, because Matt wasn’t outside and that meant he was in trouble. Only, he couldn’t move. He was being held back. It had to have been squad because he could see truck freaking out to his right. Standing next to Boden as he shouted Matt’s name down the radio. Matt wasn’t answering, it made Kelly’s stomach drop. Kelly stopped struggling, he couldn’t move, fear taking over. Matt had to be ok. He had to be.

That’s when a gargled cough sounded over the radio and Kelly almost cried with relief. Matt was definitely hurt, but he was alive and that was good. That was so good. Kelly wasn’t really paying attention just trying to figure out how to get Matt out of the building. He could hear Boden and Matt talking, his attention was bought firmly back to reality.

“I can’t get out.”

Those four words that every firefighter dreaded. Four words that made Kelly’s heart stop. Kelly turned to Boden. Kelly could feel his heart breaking, he knew that look. That look meant he was going to tell Kelly - to tell Matt that he couldn’t do anything. It was too dangerous. Kelly listened as those words came out of Boden’s mouth, betraying Kelly in way that cut too deep. He wasn’t even willing to try. Kelly wasn’t just going to let Matt die.

“I’m going to get him.” Kelly told Boden, Boden immediately started to protest, but Kelly stood his ground, “I’m getting him and if you try to stop me, I’ll put you on your arse.”

“Kelly, stop.” Matt’s voice broke crackled through the radio, “You got to stop. It’s fine. It’s ok, just go to three.”

Kelly started crying, Matt was trying to say goodbye. He was telling Kelly that he was going to die, and it was fine. Kelly couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t let this happen, “No, no, you’re not doing this. Matt, please just let me come help you. We can do this, please. _Please_.”

Then everything made Kelly’s world shatter. There it was, that one name. Meant just for the two of them.

“ _Baby_ , go to three, please.”

Kelly turned his radio to three and swallowed back a sob. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, he hated it. He didn’t want this to be happening. He didn’t want to be doing this in front of everyone else.

“Matt.” Kelly practically whispered, he wasn’t prepared for this at all. He had never ever imagined that this would happen.

“Hey _baby_ , it’s ok. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you so much. You made me better, Kelly. I’m so sorry this is happening, but it’s going to be ok. You’re going to be fine. You are so strong, I love you, I’m sorry, you’ll get over this. It’s going to hurt for a while, but I want you to be happy. I need you to be happy. I love you. Kelly, I love you so much.” Matt rambled, he was crying, Kelly was crying. Everything hurt, his heart was breaking. Both of their hearts were breaking.

“Matt, I love you. Please hold on. I love you. Matt, I need you to hold on. I need you to hold you. You got to fight, please for me. I love you.” Kelly choked out, he needed Matt to live. He needed Matt.

“Kelly, I lov-.”

The building exploded. Kelly fell to his knees, screaming Matt’s name. Kelly couldn’t breathe. Everything stood still, he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t live in a world where Matt wasn’t alive. He wouldn’t.

Everything that happened after was a blur. He knew he was sitting on the edge of the truck, gripping his helmet between his hands, tears streaming down his face. He was trying to hold it together as the rest of the squad did their jobs. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t bring himself to. Matt was the love of his life and he had just lost him. Kelly cried harder at that thought.

“We got Matt! He’s alive!”

Kelly had never moved so fast in his life. There was Matt, on a stretcher being carried over to the ambo. Kelly was moving pushing people out of the way. Trying to get to Matt as fast as possible. Kelly was climbing into the back of the ambo, he stayed out of Gabby’s way while she worked on keeping Matt alive. He sat there, trying to calm himself down. He was just so grateful that Matt was alive. Matt was fighter. He would be fine. That’s what Kelly kept saying to himself. Matt would be fine.

Three days later. Three excruciatingly painful days, but Matt finally woke up. Kelly tried his hardest not to cry, but he couldn’t help it. He was so relieved, so happy. He thought he had lost the love of his life, but he hadn’t. Matt was alive and on the road to recovery. Nothing, mattered. Nothing ever would matter again, not after everything that had happened. Matt could call Kelly anything he liked from now on and Kelly wouldn’t care. It had been the closest he had ever gotten to losing Matt. He knew it was a risk, but he never thought it would happen.

“Kelly, I love you, baby.”

Kelly had never felt so good hearing those words come out of Matt’s mouth.


End file.
